Centristic’s new Northern fabrication plant in Telford, acquired in 2021, has achieved Factory Production Certification (FPC) to the BS EN 1090-1:2009 Execution Class 3 standard for structural steelwork.

Execution Class 3 is a higher standard for steelwork fabrication which permits the supply of bridges as well as steel buildings.  This means that Centristic’s Heathfield and Telford fabrication plants now hold harmonised certification, thus providing a more comprehensive structural steelwork fabrication service to clients across the UK.

The audit was undertaken on 12^th January 2022 by Adrian Edwards, Technical Support Deputy at BBA Certification.  Thanks to Centristic’s strong quality processes, it was a straightforward to upgrade the plant’s long-standing Class 2 certification.

The requirement for BS EN 1090-1 certification stems from the Construction Products Regulations.  Safety-critical products must be manufactured under tightly-managed production controls, verified by an FPC audit and certification.  This FPC is a prerequisite for UK Conformity Assessment (UKCA) marking, the post-Brexit successor to the CE mark which must be displayed on construction products sold within Great Britain.  CE marked construction products will no longer be recognised in Great Britain from 2023.

“This is an important strategic achievement for the company; and it validates the stringent quality processes by which we operate throughout the business,” commented James Hepworth, Operations Director.  “It’s testament to the teamwork of our staff at Telford and Heathfield who have collaborated to achieve this impressive outcome quickly and smoothly.”

Centristic’s Telford facility is a new addition to the company’s capabilities.  It is strategically placed to complement the new Northern divisional office in Stoke-on-Trent, which oversees key projects in the Midlands and north of England.